The document discusses the urgent issue of soil erosion, highlighting its impacts on both rural and urban areas and the need for a collective community effort to address it. It emphasizes the importance of raising awareness, conducting targeted research, and promoting good practices while establishing networks and policies to combat soil degradation. Proposed actions include the creation of a global soil erosion map, political plans for action, and educational initiatives aimed at engaging a broad audience, especially youth.

1. GSER19: conclusions and
way forward
Ronald Vargas
Global Soil Partnership, FAO
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A very successful event…
- UN scientific panels and Agencies working together for a
common objective : addressing soil erosion;
- Scientific community actively engaged;
- High inter-disciplinarity ! Soil erosion is not concerning only
soil scientists, it is a problem of all the community;
- Member countries (policy/decision makers);
- A “think global, act local” symposium.

3. GSER statistics
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4. GSER Statistics
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17% 17%
2%
44%
12%
6% 3%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%

5. Conclusions/Findings
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6. Soil erosion is a serious problem
affecting not only Rural sector but
also Cities……..!
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Thus, we all (not only soil
scientists, but the community) have
a mission to address it…….

7. Awareness raising about the
importance of soils (including soil
erosion) should continue, especially
in the cities and young people…..
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Efforts should continue in this regard,
thus please join in this effort and
always share the multiple benefits of
soils for humanity

8. Soil erosion has been there since
the origins of civilization (as a
natural process but then
amplified)………..
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But there is evidence that this process
could be controlled……..positive
examples from different countries and
times….

9. Soil erosion needs to be connected
to the other soil threats and need to
be addressed under a more wider
framework…..
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For example, theVoluntary Guidelines for
Sustainable Soil Management set the
framework for an integrated response
addressing the ten soil threats

10. There is a need to Scale up good
practices to address soil erosion and
soil degradation in general, especially
under the current climate change and
sustainable development agendas…..
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Successful cases (including local
knowledge) should be
promoted….especially advocating for
sound policies

11. Soil (erosion) information is still
needed, especially at national and
local levels (especially addressing
the dynamics).
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Contribute to the Global Soil Erosion
Map and the Global Soil Information
System….National Soil Information
Systems are the key….

12. It is important to be aware of the
economic implications of soil erosion,
especially for advocating for political
will/decision making (building the
case).
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This should be linked to the
implications of the different sectors
a healthy soil contribute to…….

13. Soil users (especially farmers) should
be part of the solution…...they need to
be supported……..
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Targeted research is still needed,
especially focusing on innovative and
feasible solutions to soil erosion……

14. Way forward
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15. Specific outputs
• GSER19 Book of Proceedings
• GSER19 Outcome document “Stop Soil erosion,
Save our future!”
• Special issue in “Land Use Policy” and “Earth and
Environment”
• A forum of experts that will work on the
establishment of activities specifically targeting soil
erosion
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16. Three specific actions
• Global soil erosion map;
• A political plan of action to be proposed at the
UNCCD COP 14 (October 2019);
• A global study on the costs and benefits of soil
erosion and soil erosion control to be initiated.
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17. Awareness raising and advocacy
• Social media coverage with #StopSoilErosion
• Join the campaign “Stop soil erosion, save our future!”
• Target : youth, children, general public and decision
makers
• A continuous process…till World Soil Day 2019 (5th
December 2019).
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18. Capacity development and training
• Develop educational material on soil erosion (from
assessment to reversing) available in all languages
and easily accessible;
• Organize trainings at regional and national levels
targeting soil erosion;
• Facilitate the exchange of researcher/students from
developing and developed countries.
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19. Establishment of working groups
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• Towards the development of the Global Erosion map;
• Towards the development of policy documentation to
specifically target soil erosion at national/regional
levels;
• Towards the development of database on the best
practices, easily accessible by farmers and with
contributions of farmers;
• Towards a study on the economics of soil erosion.

20. Let’s stop soil erosion and save our
future……….
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